Last week we were in Madrid and are totally smitten. Mr. S and I have never been before. He’s half Spanish so whenever we are in a Spanish country, he feels a connection even though he grew up in England. We’ve been to Barcelona before but Spain’s capital tugged at our hearts! It’s a beautiful,…

The culinary media tour I participated in last month resulted in my knowledge of Canada’s food island getting a good kick in the backside! I was relying on my memories of more than three decades ago! I pigeon-holed Prince Edward Island as a place to eat lobster in church basements, go camping, take in the…

Earlier this month I received an email from Mark DeWolf of The Chronicle Herald asking if I would be interested in attending a 3-day media tour on Prince Edward Island. I said sure, send me the details. PEI holds fond memories for me (lobster suppers/camping) and has a special place in my heart so when…

Last month I posted a recipe on how to make fresh ricotta; a process that was kick-started by me purchasing a bag of fresh shelled peas. So, here I am today sharing with you that pasta dish I made using the homemade ricotta. Pearl couscous is also known as Israeli couscous and is larger than…

Most people associate Spring vegetables with asparagus, leeks, rhubarb, ramps, and peas. But for a very brief time, fiddleheads are sold at markets and grocery stores. They are the unfurled fronds of a young ostrich fern and are collected in the wild before the frond has opened. They are aptly named because they resemble the…

It all began with a bag of shelled green peas. I was thinking sautéed spring vegetables with pasta; the Italians call it primavera. But, I did not want to use traditional pasta such as linguine, penne, or tagliatelle. And, I had a yearning for some sort of fresh sauce, too, in lieu of a creamy…

Last month Mr S and I were in Buenos Aires. I knew Argentina was originally a Spanish colony but never realized how Italian immigrants influenced the makeup of food until we visited. For sure, regional dishes can be found (parrilla) but surprisingly, day-to-day eating is dominated by la dolce vita. I read that 40% of…

Frozen desserts such as a sorbet are easy to make and a delight to eat! Traditionally used as a palate cleanser, sorbet is made up of fruit and sugar; perfect for those who are lactose intolerant or vegan. Sorbet (pronounced sor-bay) is rumored to have started back in the first century A.D. when Roman Emperor,…

It’s good to shake up our eating habits now and then. For us that means meat takes a back seat and the veggies reign. When the word vegan is mentioned, the carnivores in my life shiver. And I get why. Those who were brought up eating meat and vegetables could easily cut back on the…

Over the last decade I have made a conscious effort to support farm-to-table and know your farmer or fisherman, but sometimes not knowing what your food looks like before it lands on the table is good thing! Let me explain. Take monkfish, for example, it’s one helluva an ugly fish! Its body is composed mainly…

If you mention the word cabbage to your carnivore friends, the most likely response will come in the form of a scrunched up nose as they take a step backwards. But, tell them it’s encased in a prosciutto base with Parmesan cheese and suddenly you’re all buddy-buddy with them. This dish I am about to…

The Cuban sandwich makes use of leftover Cuban roast pork – for the uninitiated, it’s basically a delicious pork and cheese sandwich. Having recently returned from a trip to Havana, the Cuban sandwich was high on our radar. However, Mr. S and I only saw it once on a menu but never tried as it…

I am not mathematically inclined, but I do like to figure out how things work and have always had an inquisitive mind. If a shortcut works, well, I’ll take that route. It stems from childhood. When a problem arose, I would try to sort it out on my own before approaching my parents. I would…